EVAN VUCCI / AFP
At the last meeting between Justin Trudeau and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the G20 summit, the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar was already mentioned.
INTERNATIONAL – Tensions are rising between Ottawa and New Delhi. While Canada made the decision on Monday, September 18, to expel a senior Indian diplomat, India denies there are “credible elements” that India is responsible for the killing of a Sikh leader near Vancouver in June decided this and responded by expelling a high-ranking Canadian diplomat.
India’s Foreign Ministry also described Ottawa’s allegations as “absurd” in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 19. “The allegations of Indian government involvement in violence in Canada are absurd,” he responded in a press release. “We are a democratic state with a strong commitment to the rule of law.”
But what caused Canada and India to end up in such a situation? HuffPost takes stock of what we know about these allegations from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
· Murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
On Monday evening, in a last-minute speech to Parliament after the opposition convened, Justin Trudeau took the opportunity to highlight the existence of “credible elements” suggesting a possible link between Indian government agents and the murder of Hardeep Singh in Nijjar “, a Canadian citizen.
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“The involvement of a foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” the Canadian prime minister added. The Canadian government also called on the Indian government to “work together to resolve this matter.”
During the last G20 summit, the Canadian head of state had already raised these allegations against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, they were “completely rejected” by the Indian leader.
After Justin Trudeau’s speech to Parliament, Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced the expulsion of the head of Indian Intelligence in Canada (RAW), assessing the possible involvement of a representative of a foreign government as “not only worrying, but completely unacceptable.”
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· Expulsion of a Canadian diplomat
This Tuesday, India appeared intransigent towards Canada following the decision to expel a senior Indian diplomat. In turn, the same decision was made in India.
India ordered the departure of a senior Canadian diplomat on Tuesday. New Delhi’s decision reflects “growing concern over the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs and their involvement in anti-India activities,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
This Tuesday, the Indian Foreign Ministry expressed another level, estimating that these new allegations “are aimed at diverting attention from Khalistani terrorists and extremists who have found refuge in Canada and continue to threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.”
· Diplomatic dispute
The man at the center of the affair, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was best known for his activism and his desire to create a Sikh state called Khalistan.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar is wanted by Indian authorities for suspected acts of terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder and has always denied his Indian allegations, according to the World Sikh Organization of Canada, a nonprofit that claims to defend the interests of Canadian Sikhs.
However, the Indian government continues to accuse the Trudeau government of turning a blind eye to the activities of radical Sikh nationalists who have sought refuge in Canada.
This dispute was also reflected in Canada’s recent suspension of free trade agreement negotiations with India. Additionally, Canada’s trade minister last week canceled a planned trip to the country in October.
Narendra Modi had also expressed his “serious concerns about the continuation of anti-India activities by extremist elements in Canada” during his meeting with Justin Trudeau at the G20 in early September.
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